Hinge for an orthopedic brace

Abstract

A hinge for an orthopedic brace includes: a pivot shaft; a lower leg plate pivoted to the pivot shaft; an upper leg plate; a catch plate having a toothed peripheral edge; and two position adjusting units, each of which includes a rotatable limiting seat, a limiting pin, and a slider body. The rotatable limiting seat defines a housing chamber therein, and is formed with a wall slot. The slider body is slidably disposed in the housing chamber. The limiting pin extends from the slider body through the wall slot for engaging and disengaging the toothed peripheral edge. The catch plate is formed with a guiding groove. The rotatable limiting seat has a tongue protruding into the guiding groove.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A hinge for an orthopedic brace comprising:
 a pivot shaft; 
 a lower leg plate pivoted to said pivot shaft; 
 an upper leg plate; 
 a catch plate secured to an end portion of said upper leg plate and having an annular portion that is sleeved around said pivot shaft and that has a toothed peripheral edge; and 
 two position adjusting units, each of which includes a rotatable limiting seat, a limiting pin, and a slider body, said rotatable limiting seat being mounted rotatably on said catch plate and having a seat housing that defines a housing chamber therein and that is formed with a wall slot which extends in a radial direction with respect to said pivot shaft, said slider body being slidably disposed in said housing chamber and being slidable relative to said seat housing in the radial direction between engaging and disengaging positions, said limiting pin extending outwardly of said housing chamber from said slider body through said wall slot so as to be co-slidable with said slider body relative to said seat housing; 
 wherein said limiting pin of each of said position adjusting units engages said toothed peripheral edge when said slider body is disposed at the engaging position, thereby preventing rotation of said position adjusting unit relative to said catch plate about said pivot shaft, and is disengaged from said toothed peripheral edge when said slider body is disposed at the disengaging position, thereby permitting rotation of said position adjusting unit about said pivot shaft; and 
 wherein said annular portion of said catch plate is formed with two circumferentially extending guiding grooves, said rotatable limiting seat of each of said position adjusting units further having a tongue that protrudes from said seat housing into a respective one of said circumferentially extending guiding grooves, so that rotation of each of said rotatable limiting seats about said pivot shaft is guided along the respective one of said circumferentially extending guiding grooves. 
 
     
     
       2. The hinge of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover that is secured to said end portion of said upper leg plate to cover said catch plate and that has an annular portion and a rim portion which protrudes from said annular portion of said cover, said seat housing of said rotatable limiting seat having inner and outer radial ends, two opposite radially extending side walls that extend between said inner and outer radial ends, and a curved bar strip that protrudes from and that cooperates with one of said side walls to define a limiting recess therebetween, said rim portion extending into said limiting recess and abutting against said bar strip of said seat housing of said rotatable limiting seat so as to limit said rotatable limiting seat against movement in the radial direction. 
     
     
       3. The hinge of  claim 2 , wherein each of said position adjusting units further includes a pull knob that abuts against a peripheral edge of said cover, and a pair of connecting rods that extend from said slider body through said seat housing to connect with said pull knob. 
     
     
       4. The hinge of  claim 3 , wherein each of said position adjusting units further includes a pair of springs that are sleeved around said connecting rods, that are disposed in said housing chamber, and that abut against said seat housing and said slider body for restoring said slider body from the disengaging position to the engaging position. 
     
     
       5. The hinge of  claim 2 , wherein said lower leg plate has an end portion that is pivoted to said pivot shaft, and two limiting side edges that are angularly spaced apart from each other, and that are disposed angularly between said rotatable limiting seats of said position adjusting units so that rotation of said lower leg plate about said pivot shaft is limited by said rotatable limiting seats. 
     
     
       6. The hinge of  claim 5 , further comprising a lock mechanism that includes a latch bar and that is mounted slidably on said cover, said latch bar being provided with a latch protrusion, said end portion of said lower leg plate being formed with a plurality of tooth grooves, said latch bar being slidable in the radial direction between locked and unlocked positions, said latch protrusion engaging a selected one of said tooth grooves when said latch bar is disposed at the locked position, thereby preventing rotation of said lower leg plate relative to said upper leg plate about said pivot shaft, and disengaging said tooth grooves when said latch bar is disposed at the unlocked position, thereby permitting rotation of said lower leg plate relative to said upper leg plate about said pivot shaft. 
     
     
       7. The hinge of  claim 6 , wherein said latch bar is formed with first and second retaining grooves that are arranged along the radial direction, said cover being formed with a retaining protrusion that protrudes therefrom toward said latch bar, said retaining protrusion engaging said second retaining groove and being disengaged from said first retaining groove when said latch bar is disposed at the locked position, and engaging said first retaining groove and being disengaged from said second retaining groove when said latch bar is disposed at the unlocked position. 
     
     
       8. The hinge of  claim 7 , wherein said end portion of said upper leg plate is formed with a notch, said latch bar extending through said notch. 
     
     
       9. The hinge of  claim 1 , wherein said seat housing of said rotatable limiting seat has inner and outer radial ends and two opposite radially extending side walls that extend between said inner and outer radial ends and that are opposite to and that are registered with each other along an axial direction parallel to said pivot shaft, said wall slot being formed in and extending through said side walls.